


Vast Like the Ocean

by kitkatkayla



Category: Ben 10 Series
Genre: Barely there budding relationship, M/M, aka I kept forgetting what I was doing so it's inconsistent, fluid pov, there is a single kiss but does it even count, this is borderline gen I apologize I meant to make it more shippy, this is mostly gratuitous fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 21:46:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6771493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitkatkayla/pseuds/kitkatkayla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"I think," he mutters after a long moment, "I just wanted someone to see that I'm me, I'm not all hero, and I don't always do the right thing... But also, not hold it against me." He crosses his arms over Rook's chest and rests his chin on them, a thoughtful, puzzled expression crossing his face. "You get that."</i>
</p><p> </p><p>A trip to the sea ends up being a little more than either of them expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vast Like the Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little nervous uploading this because its basically just a stream of consciousness fic I started as an idea for a setting with no plan, and I'm not sure how much I like how it turned out. It's completely in-beta'd, so there are probably a bunch of mistakes and spelling errors... The timeframe is sort of ambiguous... I started this in the middle of when the series was airing... I don't know, you guys will have to tell me what you think. I just needed more grossly fluffy fics of these two in my life, even if this one ends on a bit of a depressing note.

It starts out as just another meaningless conversation on a hot but otherwise unremarkable summer day. With no missions waiting and no trouble to speak of, Ben and his partner have found themselves lounging around outside the truck, shaded by a large maple tree. Rook perches on the vehicle's hood, fiddling with his proto-tool, while Ben lays on the grass staring up at nothing in particular. Since the Hot Stretch' with Ester and the Kraaho last summer, neither of them have quite regained a proper tolerance for heat, and much of the summer so far has been spent in similar fashion. (With frequent jaunts to Mr. Smoothy, of course.) Ben, as usual, is complaining bitterly about the heat.

"I'm going to melt," he gripes. "If this heat wave doesn't let up soon, I'm actually going to MELT. It shouldn't even be legal to not have the air conditioning on when it's this hot." Rook makes a noncommittal sound of agreement, but the fact that he doesn't offer a comment about humans not having the physical properties required to liquefy themselves, or something equally inane, suggests that he isn't actually paying attention. Rolling onto his side, Ben tries again. "I don't see why we can't just sit in the truck with the AC cranked up again. It'd be better than laying around and getting eaten by bugs while we sweat to death."

This time the revonnahgandar looks up, a slight frown creasing his face. "I believe we have discussed this before," he replies. "It would be wasteful. My vehicle has a very low battery life in this form, and I cannot afford to waste fuel by driving it around aimlessly." His frown deepens as the words are met with a drawn out groan of exasperation. 

"Ugh, I knooow. That was a rhetorical question, Rook." He draggs his hands down his face, flipping around on the grass in frustration, until he finally comes to rest on his back again, arms stretched up above his head. Another long moment of silence, and Ben can feel his partner's eyes on him. "Maybe it would help if we actually WENT somewhere," he mutters at length. "I'm bored as beans anyway." He kicks his feet, looking over at Rook expectantly.

There's a dubious expression on the plumber's face. He's set his weapon down in his lap, and turned to watching Ben. "...I suppose that would be acceptable," he speaks slowly. "I cannot think of anywhere in Bellwood that might offer more entertainment, though. You are still banned from the arcade, and we have only just come from Mr. Smoothy." He tapps the hood of the truck pensively. "There is always Undertown to explore, but at this time of year I suspect it is even hotter than above ground, given its inferior ventilation."

"That's all you can think of?" Ben snorts. "Man, you don't get out much, do you? You gotta think outside the box. The city's not the only option here." He pauses for a moment, and then bounces to his feet. "Here, I've got an idea! Gimmie the keys, I'll drive. I know where we're going." He waves his hand impatiently at Rook, who hesitates.

"...I would prefer it if you helped by navigating from the passengers seat," he objects. 

Ben makes a face. "Come on, you never let me drive!" He makes a grabbing motion in Rook's direction, leaning over the hood of the vehicle. 

"That is an untrue accusation." The revonnahgar managed to avoid the flailing limb by scooting away, and holds himself defensively, shoulder pointed to take the brunt of any hits.

"Yeah, you let me drive TWICE."

"And you crashed. Both times."

"Hey now, I'm learning!"

"...Within five minutes of starting the engine. You very nearly ran over an elderly woman, as I recall."

"Aaargh!" 

There follows a brief scuffle, easily won by the older plumber, and Ben is shunted unceremoniously through the passengers side door. Rook joins him a moment later from the opposite side, looking just a little too self-satisfied for his liking. Ben scowls, making a big show of it, hunching down and ignoring his partner.

The truck hums to life under Rook's direction, and it's only moments before they're rumbling back out into the road. Ben stares out the window. He's about to pointedly crank up the AC as high as it would go when a blast of cool air hits his face, making him turn automatically to find the source. With his hands still on the wheel and his eyes on the road, Rook gives a sidelong half-smile to his human comrade. Slightly mollified, Ben sinks back into the seat and lets the chill breeze evaporate the lingering sweat on his skin.

"I believe you mentioned having an 'idea'," Rook comments airily, still smiling his stupid vague, knowing smile. "Perhaps you would be so kind as to share it with me, so that I can direct us towards the proper destination?" His gaze flicks over to asses the reaction, and he adds in an almost offhand manner, "or supply me with directions, if you plan to keep this a secret."

After a momentary pause that seems more like deliberation than anything, Ben sits up and leaned slightly towards the driver, gesturing with one hand. "Turn right up here, and then get onto the highway, okay? And don't ask anymore questions, this's going to be a surprise."

The rest of the trip progresses in similar fashion, the human plumber offering intermittent directions in the form of 'left' or 'right' or 'this exit' between bouts of friendly banter and ribbing. At some point, they find themselves jolting down a shabbily-maintained dirt road that paralleled great bluffs overlooking the ocean. Here Rook slows, and turns uncertainly to his navigator.

"Are you positive this is the right location? There is nothing here. The road ends sixty meters ahead of our vehicle, and I cannot see any further trails, although the terrain seems-" He would have continued, but Ben cuts him off with words, after his dismissive hand wave was ignored.

"Relax dude, I know exactly where we are. Just pull over here, we'll walk the rest of the way. It's pretty close."

Still somewhat dubiously, Rook parks the truck on the left hand side of the disappearing dirt road, safely away from the edge of the cliff. He pauses for a moment after disembarking to take in their surroundings, a habitual precaution, and then trots after his partner, who's already set a brisk pace along the scrub dunes. It's cooler here, at least. The wind blows across the crest of the bluffs, directly from the sea, strong enough to shake the low bushes and send rippling silvery waves across the rough grass, almost making the pair stumble, once or twice. Almost.

Eventually, and quite suddenly, Ben changes course. Instead of paralleling the water, they now head inland, curving around a small bay that cuts sharply into the dunes. Tall cliffs slope away on either side of the inlet, reaching out into a V shape, until they finally join with the rest of the shoreline. Only the far cliff wall is visible from where they stand, but Ben makes a beeline for where the two lines of the V met.

Realizing he's being left behind while he gapes at the scenery, Rook quickly trots after his partner again, following him down a narrow path (if it can even be called that; it's more of a rugged trail, entirely washed out by the elements in places and forcing them to occasionally pick their own way down). With his eyes on the ground, watching his step, the revonnahgandar doesn't realize they've reached the bottom until he nearly trips over Ben's much shorter frame. 

The boy had stopped, and now throws his arms wide in a gesture that encompassed everything in general. "Tada!" He announces. "Ben Tennyson's bay. I made it. Well, not on purpose, you know how things get during fights, but it all worked out in the end. I happened to come back a month or two later, and whaddya know, I found this!" 

'This', Rook notes as he looks up, was in fact far more than he had expected. From where they stand, a good distance of gray-brown sand stretches towards the water, sloping down very gently to a wide curve of calm water. Subtle lines on the stone cliffs and the dip of the sand show where high tide would be, somewhere around ten yards from their feet. At this time of day though, the water is far enough out to expose rocky tide pools on the edges of the inlet. 

The moment of silence stretches out as Rook takes in their surroundings, and he can see Ben growing antsy waiting for his response. "It is impressive," he confesses at last. "Though I have never been given the opportunity to spend time at the ocean, and have nothing to compare it to." 

That seems to pacify Ben, and the revonnahgandar can just about feel the puff of pride and satisfaction at his side. But then his partner stops, appearing to have registered something and the sensation goes away. "Wait- so you've never been to the ocean? Seriously?" He sounds far more incredulous than Rook thinks is entirely necessary, but he reigns in his annoyance when he replies. 

"I lived on an arid part of my planet. Not near enough to visit the ocean. We had rivers, and we had lakes, however. I cannot imagine the difference is too great. Granted, the saline properties of the water have caused life forms to evolve differently, but-" 

Ben is shaking his head. "Man," he cuts off, "you REALLY need to get out more. That is just sad." And then he's taking off his clothes, much to Rooks shock and mild horror, tossing his shirt down and peeling off his shoes and socks. "Well, it's not white sand and girls in bikinis, but this is still pretty cool." He's stripped down to his boxers now, and to Rook's great relief, seems to have no intention of removing those as well. "What are you waiting for? Come on!"

Rook doesn't get much more explanation than that, because Ben is already off, wading into the surf with a few whoops. The revonnahgandar can only follow, bemused but slightly awed by his partner's neverending impulsiveness.

They end up spending far more time there than Rook had intended. Ben splashes around in the water, while Rook finds himself drawn in by the tidepools. They are endlessly fascinating. Entire ecosystems seem to dwell within them, from algae and snails to small fish, crabs, and clusters of sea grass. Anemones quickly monopolize his attention, and he spends a good twenty minutes scooting from pool to pool so he can examine how they respond to stimulus. 

Eventually Ben hauls himself out of the water to join his partner as he's poking anemones. Somewhere along the line Rook ditched his gear, and either stripped down or somehow modified his proto-tech armor into something that resembles a pair of black biking shorts. It's the first time Ben has ever seen him sleeveless, nevermind shirtless, and it's hard not to stare. Instead, he comes up and peers over the revonnahgandar's shoulder, dripping into the pool and scaring a school of tiny sand-colored minnows. 

"Have you seen any starfish?" He asks, and Rook looks over at him with a puzzled expression.

"Star fish? I... do not think so. I have never heard of them. Are they creatures that dwell in space?"

"No, they're- No, no. They live in tide pools. It's just what they're called. They're star-shaped, they've got five arms and they eat like, snails or something, I don't know." 

He squats down and peers into the depths of the wife tidepool that has been occupying his partner for the last however-long. Then he points. "There, that's one. Down on the rock, kinda wedged in there, you see? That's a starfish." Rook looks up, frowns into the water, and then makes a small noise of recognition.

"Ah. Asteroidea, a type of echinoderm. Did you know, most Asteroidea can regenerate limbs that have been severed? In fact, they will sometimes shed a limb in order to escape predators. While the predator is distracted eating the lost limb, the Asteroidea flees and begins to grow back the limb that was lost."

As always, he sounds immensely pleased by sharing his trivia. Ben doesn't know where he learns all the random facts he spouts, and he certainly doesn't know how Rook manages to remember it all, but it never ceases to be annoying.

"They do not look anything like stars though," his partner continues. "I cannot see how they would have gotten the name 'star fish', particularly when they are not even fish to begin with. They do not even look like fish." And this time Ben really has to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. 

"Look, your guess is as good as mine. They're star shaped to us. But whatever, that's not what I came out of the water to say. The tide's coming in, so even if you don't wanna swim, you're gonna have to in a little while if you stay here." 

And sure enough, when Rook lifts his head to look around, he sees that the waves are already lapping much higher up the beach than they had been previously, threatening to turn the rocky peninsula he's been wandering around on into an island. Reluctantly, he stands, feeling his muscles protest from so long spent crouched over. Has it really been that long? He must have lost track of time. 

He follows Ben back up onto the beach, but it feels like a shame to leave already. Fortunately his partner seems to have a similar opinion, because he flops down on his stomach in the sand, not bothering to put the rest of his clothes on, even though they're sitting less than an arms length away. The grains are sticking to his damp skin and Rook suddenly realizes he's been looking more than is probably appropriate, so he glances away, sitting down next to Ben and turning his face up into the late afternoon sun. 

It feels nice, calming, and with his eyes closed and the sun painting the inside of his eyelids red he feels he can let his mind drift aimlessly for a little whole, free of the troubles that usually haunt his mind. He stays that way for a while, losing track of time, until something tickles his arm.

He doesn't register it at first, but then it comes again. Frowning, he shifts his weight off his hands to run his arm, still not opening his eyes. A small 'shhf', and then another sprinkle of sand tickles his elbow this time. Opening one eye, he catches Ben turning away very quickly, in a way that can't not be suspicious. 

He watches him sidelong for a minute, and then closes his eyes again. 

Shhf. 

This time he doesn't wait before turning to Ben, shoving him face down in the sand. He makes a little 'argh!' and starts flailing, but Rook stays with his elbow leaning on the small of his back for another minute or so, until he's sure Ben has learned his lesson. 

"Finished?" He asks, as Ben sits up, spitting out sand. 

"You asshole," is all he gets in reply. 

Looking distinctly smug, he turns his face back into the sun, but only seconds later he's being quite unceremoniously tackled to the ground. His back hits the sand and he grapples, seizing Ben by the shoulders. For several seconds they wrestle silently, kicking up little waves of sand, and then one of them, it's unclear who, breaks, and then they're both laughing as they roll around on the beach, shoving each others faces in the sand. 

Finally, it ends with Ben half splayed over Rooks chest, holding him down as they both shake with laughter, too weak with mirth to go on. As the mad giggling subsides, they seem to mutually come to the realization of the position they're in, but neither of them moves. It's a little weird for a few seconds, but then Rook thunks their foreheads together and it feels like the kind of affectionate headbutt you'd get from a cat. Except, with a person, and a lot more overwhelming.

"Thank you, Ben," he rumbles, sounding more jarringly honest than Ben has ever heard him. "To me, bringing me here was very meaningful. I have never before had a close friend with which to share these kinds of experiences." 

Part of Ben wants to push off him, go back to the playful tussling and forget all about the deep conversation they're heading into. He's never been good at analyzing himself, or others, or feelings in general, or even just dealing with other people. Too complicated. Too easy to mess up. 

But there's something in him that can connect to that confession of never being so close to another person, and he finds himself instead awkwardly patting Rook's shoulder. "It's alright. I was pretty lonely too before you came along. Just don't tell anyone, okay?" It's pathetic really, his attempt at matching his partner's sobered mannerism, and he has to force a laugh. It sounds almost pained. 

"I think," he mutters after a long moment, "I just wanted someone to see that I'm me, I'm not all hero, and I don't always do the right thing... But also, not hold it against me." He crosses his arms over Rook's chest and rests his chin on them, a thoughtful, puzzled expression crossing his face. "You get that. You know when I'm all bluster, and you don't let me talk smack, but you don't try and make me a good person, you know? 'Cause no one can do that. I'm the only one who can decide whether or not I'm gonna be the bad guy or the good guy." Finding himself out of words, he scratches an ear awkwardly. "So, thanks for that, I guess."

This is more honesty than Rook would ever have expected from Ben, and it surprises him a little. More than a little. Enough that he can't hide it, and Ben starts looking distinctly uncomfortable. "Hey now," he says, "don't get all weird on me. I was just saying." Rook just shakes his head. 

"I am not 'getting weird'. I was just surprised by your honesty." The truth, regardless or whether or not it's appropriate for the moment, has always been the first thing on Rook's tongue. It's second nature to him. Maybe it's a revonnagander thing, but he's always believed that sharing your true thoughts was the right thing to do, the only thing to do. 

Maybe that's why he says what he does. 

"I like you, Ben. I am glad to have been given the opportunity to be your partner." And then, before Ben can react with his usual bluster, he leans up and kisses him. 

Apparently this is too much for Ben to handle. He jerks back, and then just kind of stares at Rook for a few seconds. "Dude. Dude! Did you just kiss me?" He seems equal parts shocked and baffled, as if he can't quite process what just happened. 

"It was a gesture of gratitude. Did I get that wrong?" 

"Well, I mean, yeah! You don't usually kiss your friends! On the _mouth_." He can't seem to get over this part, his brain just keeps replaying it and it's still just as shocking every time. On the mouth. On the mouth. Rook just kissed him _on the mouth_. His mouth was furry. It was nice. Oh God. He might be freaking out just a little bit. 

"Ben." Rook's cool voice breaks through his inner turmoil, and a hand on his cheek brings him back to the present. He flinches away a little bit from the touch, and only belatedly recognizes the complicated expression on Rook's face. Too late. 

He scrambles off Rook and too his feet, grabbing his clothes and starting to re-dress. "Hey, look, it's getting late and the tide is coming in, we should go." He doesn't look at Rook. He doesn't look. 

There's no reply though, and finally he has to turn around to glance at Rook, just to be sure he's still there. The revonnagander is sitting up with his legs crossed, that look still on his face, and Ben can't meet his eyes. This is weird, why did he have to go and make it weird? 

But Rook just stands, brushing himself off, and nods. "It would be unwise to linger, yes. We would not want your family to worry." He fiddles with his shorts until they unfold into his full suit of armor, and then starts off towards the path back to the van at a fast enough pace that Ben has to trot to catch up. 

They don't talk the whole way back, not on the walk, and not in the van. There's nothing to say.

It's weird.

**Author's Note:**

> I might do a continuation, but no promises. It feels like it needs one, but I don't really know where to kick it off... Any ideas?


End file.
